Gasal et al: Witness warned

Suljo Nebic, appearing as a Prosecution witness at the trial for crimes committed in Bugojno, failed to answer most of the questions he was asked, claiming that he “does not remember” or giving responses that contradicted what he said during the investigation.  

He was not able to remember when he was recruited by the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, claiming that it happened “in 1991 or 1992, when the war began”, and adding that “at some stage” he joined the police forces in Bugojno.

“I was wounded during the conflict in Bugojno, when I was on my way home, in July or August 1993. I think I had already joined the police forces by then, but I was not uniformed. I mean, I was dressed in camouflage uniform, like everybody else, but I did not have a police uniform,” Nebic said.

Nebic said that indictee Nisvet Gasal was a member of the Police Station during the conflict in Bugojno.

The State Prosecution charges Gasal, Musajb Kukavica, Enes Handzic and Senad Dautovic with having participated in a number of crimes committed against Bosnian Croats who were detained in detention camps in the Bugojno area in 1993 and 1994.  

The indictment charges Gasal and Kukavica with responsibility for the prisoners held in “Iskra” detention camp. Handzic, former Assistant Commander for Security with the 307th Brigade of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Dautovic, a former member of the Joint Staff of the Bosnian Army for Bugojno town, are charged with participation in the planning and capture of civilians in that town.

Prosecutor Slavica Terzic reminded Nebic that during the investigation in 2007 he had said that he was wounded as a member of the Emergency Interventions Squad, when he was performing a military task.  

“I do not remember what I said two days ago, let alone such a long time ago,” Nebic said. The Prosecutor reminded him that he had taken an oath and must tell the truth.

Judge Darko Samardzic also reacted to the way the witness responded to questions. The judge said that it seemed that the witness “had big problems with memory”, asking him if he had taken “alcohol or medication prior to the testimony”.  

“No, unless there was something of that sort in my breakfast,” the witness replied.  

The second Prosecution witness, Mirsad Velic, joined the police station in Bugojno on April 1, 1993, when Senad Dautovic was the Police Chief. He said that he remained in this position until the beginning of the conflict between the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council “in July 1993”.

“My first task during and after the conflict was to guard the church, as there was St. Anthony’s Church in the vicinity of the police station. We established contacts with Sister Pavka and we guarded the warehouse in which Caritas packages were stored. Sister Pavka used to come to the police station every day in order to make arrangements with the Chief. We then sometimes drove her to the village where Bosnian Croats lived, when she wanted to visit them,” Velic said.

In October 1993 Velic was transferred to the Military Police Squad, which was based in the BH Bank building, where he stayed for two months.

“There was no detention or isolation unit in the BH Bank building. I do not know if anyone had been brought there for examination. I never noticed that any captured people were brought there or detained in that building,” Velic said.

The indictment alleges that a detention center, in which Croat civilians were held, was situated in the premises of BH Bank in Bugojno.  

The next hearing is due to take place on April 22, 2009.